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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +31642839984 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • agentmartin07@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Prime Lottery" <sofiamay22@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 09:46:27 +0000
Subject: CONTACT MR MARTIN VERDONK.

Dear Winner,

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice the result of The Prime
Lottery promotion. We are happy to inform you that your email address have
emerged you a winner of €2,000.000.00Euros (Two Million) Euros.

The online cyber lotto draws was conducted from an exclusive list of 90,000
e-mail addresses of individuals and corporate bodies from Africa,
America,Asia, Australia,Canada, Europe, Middle East, and New Zealand and
picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet. No
tickets were sold.

NOTE: to file for your claim, please contact our licensed and accredited
claims agent below on email.
***********************************************
martin verdonk
Email:agentmartin07@aim.com
Phone:0031-642-839-984
Fax:0031-84-757-9617
Fax:0031-84-759-6151

**********************************************
Find below your promotion details,Remember to quote these numbers in your
correspondence with your claims agent Mr.martin verdonk'

Serial No: 5368/06
Batch No: 074/05/ZY345
Ref No: Netherland/9420X2/70
Winning Ticket Number: 56475612545


NOTE: All winnings must be claimed not later than 20 days. After this date
all unclaimed funds would be included in the next stake. Remember to quote
your reference information in all correspondence. You are to keep all lotto
information away from the general public especially your reference and
ticket numbers. (This is important as a case of double claims will not be
entertained).

Anybody under the age of 18 and members of the affiliate agencies are
automatically not allowed to participate in this program.

Thank you and congratulations!!!
Sincerely Yours,

Mr. Robert Hans,
Games/Lottery Coordinator.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam